Dynamic tension measuring and controlling device for a winding machine



N 1956 s. A. DUNN 3, 88,382

DYNAMIC TENSION MEASURING AND CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR A WINDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Stanley A. Dunn AT TORNEYS.

N 9, 1966 s A. DUNN 3,288,382

DYNAMIC TENSION NEASURING AND CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR A WINDING MACHINE Filed 001;. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR. Stanley A. Dunn N BY iawaum}.

AT TORNE YS United States Patent DYNAMIC TENSION MEASURING AND CON- TROLLING DEVICE FOR A WINDING MA- CHINE Stanley A. Dunn, Verona, Wis, assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Oct. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 318,771 Claims. (Cl. 2422) This invention relates to tension measuring and controlling devices, and more particularly to a device for measuring the tension of fibers as they are being automatically wound by means of a flyer on either a mandrel, a reel or a ball so as to be able to control the amount of tension on the fiber during the winding process.

Automatic winding procedures for winding fibers in a specific pattern upon mandrels, reels or balls have been hampered by the tension exerted on the mandrel and the ball by the fibers as they are being wound. This has accounted for uneven windings and in some cases total disruption of the automatic winding procedure due to breakage of the fibers. Hence, there is a great need for regulating the winding process by compensation for the tension exerted by the fibers upon the winding reel.

In order to regulate the tension exerted by the fibers during the winding process it is necessary to have a convenient and efiicient means of measuring the tension exerted by the fibers on the mandrel or ball at any specific time during the process. By use of the readings thus obtained it is possible to automatically compensate for the increase or decrease in tension at any specific time. All of the previous means of measuring the tension of fibers suffer from their lack of providing a convenient means of directly determining the tension on a mandrel or a ball at any given time during the winding process. Hence the measurements obtained by the previous devices could not be used to regulate the tension of the fibers so as to compensate for the tension exerted on the fibers during winding.

By the use of the device of this invention, the tension placed on fibers at any time can be automatically regulated throughout the course of winding in a specified pattern. The direct reading of tension is based on the mechanical reaction of the winding motor at any time during the process to the resistance produced by the tension encountered by winding the fibers, said reaction being transmitted through the mandrel or ball to the fiyer and finally to the electric motor. This reading is obtained through a measuring means which is calibrated to indicate the mechanical reaction of the motor in terms of the tension on the fibers. This reading may be used to regulate a tensioning device over which the fibers pass so that the tensioning device either decreases or increases the tension on the fibers depending on the reading.

A primary object of this invention is to regulate the tension placed upon fibers during the course of winding fibers upon a mandrel or a ball.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means of measuring the tension in fibers wound upon a mandrel or a ball during winding of the fibers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means for taking direct readings of the tension of the fibers as they are being wound upon a ball or mandrel.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a means for determining the amount of tension exerted on the fibers during winding and to compensate for this ten- Other objects will become apparent from the drawings and from the following detailed description in which it is intended to illustrate the applicability of the invention without thereby limiting its scope to less than that of all "ice equivalents which will be apparent to one skilled in the art. In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts and:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for measuring the tension applied to a fiber as it is being automatic-a lly wound on a ball; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a device for controlling the tension applied to a fiber as it is being automatically wound on a ball.

Referring now to FIG-1 which is a device for automatically measuring the tension of a fiber during the process of winding, it can be seen that a fiber 10 is stored on a cone 1, passed over a roller 20, and finally wound upon a takeup such as a ball or a mandrel 2 by means of a flyer 3. The fiyer 3 is attached to and driven by a hollow motor shaft 4 through which the fiber 10 passes as it travels from the roller 20 to the flyer 3. The hollow motor shaft 4 extends beyond both ends of a motor 5 as shown. Motor 5 comprises the motor shaft 4- and a motor stator 7 which is freely rotatable about the axis of the motor shaft 4. The motor 5 is mounted on a support 8 by means of bearings 9 placed at the two outer extremities of the motor shaft 4, and a pair of mounts 11. Rotation of the motor stator 7 is opposed and limited by a spring 12 which is secured to the support s. The only requirement as to spring 12 is that it behave in a reproducible manner over the entire range of readings of practical interest in this winding process. The rotation of the motor stator 7 may be impeded by means other than that of spring 12. The motor stator' 7 may be connected to a lever or other suitable device which will oppose and limit the rotation of the stator and provide for measurement of the torque such as a beam carrying a strain gauge.

The spring 12 is connected to the motor stator 7 by means of a scale section 13 which is in turn directly afiixed to the motor stator 7. Rigidly mounted on scale section 13 is an indicator 14 whose readings are recorded on scale 15 fixed with respect to support 8 by suitable structure (not shown). Indicator 14 as shown in FIG. 1 is at one-half of its full deflection. Scale 15 registers its readings through the deflection of indicator 14- produced by the rotation of motor stator 7.

Referring now to FIG. 2, which is a device for automatically controlling the tension of a fiber during the process of winding, it can be seen that the device of FIG. 2 is of the same construction as the device of FIG. 1 except that inserted between the roller 20 and the motor shaft 4 is a tension regulating device 19 which is controlled by an automatic sensing and controlling device 16. The sensing and controlling device 16 is connected to the indicator 14 to sense the reading thereof and utilizes this reading to control the tension applied to the fiber 10 by the tension regulating device 19. The tension regulating device 19 comprises two combs 17 having interdigit-ating fingers 18 around which fiber 10 passes. The connections between sensing device 16 and indicator 14 and regulating device 19 are only schematically illustrated since these connections may take mechanical or electrical forms or a combination thereof.

The operation of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 is carried out by means of the tension of the fiber 10 being conveyed to the motor stator 7 of motor 5. The motor 5 operates the flyer 3 by virtue of the interaction of magnetic fields between the rotor (not shown) on shaft 4 and the stator 7 providing a rotational moment for rotating the shaft 4. The tension of the fiber produces a counter torque which is transmitted to the shaft 4 by flyer 3 causing the magnetic field of shaft 4 to be reduced which in turn rotates the stator 7 in a direction opposite to that of the shaft 4. The rotation of the motor stator 7is opposed and limited by the spring 12 since the motor stator 7 does not rotate with motor shaft 4. The resistance to winding or the counter torque resulting from the fiber tension is transmitted through the fiyer to the motor stator 7 whose rotation is opposed by the spring 12. The counter torque deflects the indicator 14 which is directly fixed to the motor stator 7. The indicator 14 operates the automatic sensing device 16 which in turn regulates the interdigitating fingers 18 of the tension control device 19. If the reading of indicator 14 indicates that the tension is too great in the fibers then interdigitating fingers 18 automatically move closer together in order to release the tension in the fiber 10. If the indicator 14 indicates that the tension in the fiber 10 is not enough then the interdigitating fingers 18 of tension control device 19 will automatically move further apart increasing the tension in the fiber. Hence the amount of movement of the interdigitating fingers 18 in either direction will be controlled by the amount of deflection of the indicator. It is :by this method that the tension of the fiber in the continuous winding process is automatically controlled so that the tension is uniform throughout the entire winding process.

The device may be calibrated by adjusting the scale readings against directly measurable applied loads on the fiyer under static conditions and subtracting the reading corresponding to no fiber load being applied.

Other tension controlling devices 19 may be used instead of the device illustrated, all of them being conventional in the art. For instance the indicator may directly regulate the speed of the motor shaft 4 which operates the fiyer 3. The speed of the motor shaft 4 will be increased when the indicator 14 indicates the tension of the fiber 10 is not great enough and the speed of the motor shaft 4 will :be decreased when the indicator 14 indicates that the tension in the fibers is too great. Other devices include passing the fiber 10 over a series of rollers which move apart or together depending upon the indicated reading, or a clamp which grips or releases the fiber 10 depending upon the indicated reading. These are a few of the many conventional devices for regulating tension in a fiber that can be used with the novel tension measuring device of this invention.

It is apparent that by this invention it is possible to automatically compensate for the increase or decrease in tension at any specific time during the winding process. This new device permits one to take direct readings, at any specific time, of the tension in a fiber or fibers during a winding operation. This method determining the tension on a fiber or fibers during winding does not sulfer from the lack of convenience encountered in measuring the tension directly from the fiber itself.

The construction of the winding machine may also be varied within the scope of the invention. There is no need for the fiyer 3 to be directly attached to the motor shaft 4 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The motor shaft 4 may operate the fiyer 3 by means of any desired pulley system so as to regulate the speed of the fiyer 3. Many other changes in the construction of the machinery may be made within the scope of the invention by one skilled in the art.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A dynamic fiber tension measuring and control device comprising:

a support,

a drive motor having the rotor shaft thereof rotatably mounted on said support and the stator thereof rotatably mounted on said rotor shaft,

21 fiyer fixed to and rotatable with said rotor shaft for winding a fiber on a take up,

resilient means connected to said support and said stator for opposing the counter-torque on said stator resulting from tension in the fiber being wound,

means on said stator calibrated to indicate the tension in the fiber being wound,

adjustable means fixed relative to said support for applying tension to the fiber being wound, and

control means responsive to the position of said indicating means for varying said adjustable means to maintain a predetermined tension in the fiber being wound.

2. A tension measuring and control device as defined in claim 1 wherein said rotor shaft is hollow to accommodate the fiber being wound between said fiyer and said tension applying means.

3. A tension measuring and control device as defined in claim 1 wherein said tension indicating means comprises a pointer carried by said stator and a scale fixed relative to said support.

4. A tension measuring and control device as defined in claim 1 wherein said tension applying means comprises a pair of combs having interdigitating fingers, said combs being relatively movable to vary the tension frictionally applied to a fiber wound alternatively between adjacent pairs of fingers on said combs.

5. A dynamic fiber tension measuring and control device comprising:

a support,

a drive motor having the rotor shaft thereof rotatably mounted on said support and the stator thereof rotatably mounted on said rotor shaft,

a take up fixed relative to said support and disposed adjacent one end of said rotor shaft,

a fiyer secured to said one end of said rotor shaft and rotatable therewith for winding a fiber on said take p,

a tension spring connected between said stator and said support for opposing the counter torque on said stator resulting from tension in the fiber being wound,

a tension scale fixed relative to said support,

an indicator carried by said stator and cooperable with said scale for indicating the tension in a fiber being wound,

a pair of combs disposed adjacent the other end of said rotor shaft and having interdigitating fingers for frictionally applying tension to a moving fiber alternately wound between successive fingers of said combs,

said combs being relatively movable for varying the tension applied to an interwoven fiber,

said rotor shaft being hollow to accommodate the fiber being wound between said pair of combs and said fiber, and

control means responsive to the position of said indicator for relatively moving said combs to maintain a predetermined tension in the fiber being wound.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,072,365 9/1913 Rolston 242-154 1,427,461 8/1922 Henderson 24275.2 2,387,533 10/1945 Schmucker 73-136 X 2,700,514 1/ 1955 Whittum 24282 2,736,196 2/1956 Knowles 73-136 2,978,901 4/1961 Sundberg 73-136 2,983,463 I 5/1961 Aaron et al 24275.43 3,180,548 4/1965 Stafford.

FOREIGN PATENTS 589,529 6/ 1947 Great Britain.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

MERVIN STEIN, Examiner.

B. S. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DYNAMIC FIBER TENSION MEASURING AND CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING: A SUPPORT, A DRIVE MOTOR HAVING THE ROTOR SHAFT THEREOF ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND THE STATOR THEREOF ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ROTOR SHAFT, A FLYER FIXED TO AND ROTATABLE WITH SAID ROTOR SHAFT FOR WINDING A FIBER ON A TAKE UP, RESILIENT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT AND SAID STATOR FOR OPPOSING THE COUNTER-TORQUE ON SAID STATOR RESULTING FROM TENSION IN THE FIBER BEING WOUND, MEANS ON SAID STATOR CALIBRATED TO INDICATE THE TENSION IN THE FIBER BEING WOUND, ADJUSTABLE MEANS FIXED RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT FOR APPLYING TENSION TO THE FIBER BEING WOUND, AND CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF SAID INDICATING MEANS FOR VARYING SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED TENSION IN THE FIBER BEING WOUND. 